Optimal Home Inspections

Most Recommended Home Inspector in NJ

SOP

Fireplaces

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 When inspecting fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances, a home inspector shall:

Inspect Fireplace

  • Fireplaces and solid fuel burning appliances, without testing draft characteristics, excluding fire screens and doors, seals and gaskets, automatic fuel feed devices, mantles and non-structural fireplace surrounds, combustion make-up air devices, or gravity fed and fan assisted heat distribution systems; and
  • Chimneys and combustion vents excluding interiors of flues and chimneys;

Describe Fireplace

  • Type of fireplaces and/or solid fuel burning appliances;
  • Energy source; and
  • Visible evidence of improper draft characteristics.

Insulation

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When inspecting the insulation components and ventilation system of a residential building, the home inspector shall:

Inspect Insulation

  • Insulation in unfinished spaces without disturbing insulation;
  • Ventilation of attics and crawlspaces; and
  • Mechanical ventilation systems; and

Describe Insulation

  • Insulation in unfinished spaces adjacent to heated areas; and
  • Evidence of inadequate attic and crawlspace ventilation.

Interior

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When inspecting the interior of a residential building, a home inspector shall:

Inspect Interior

  • Walls, ceilings, and floors excluding paint, wallpaper and other finish treatments, carpeting, and other non-permanent floor coverings;
  • Steps, stairways, and railings;
  • Installed kitchen wall cabinets to determine if secure;
  • At least one interior passage door and operate one window per room excluding window treatments; and
  • Household appliances limited to:
    • The kitchen range and oven to determine operation of burners or heating elements excluding microwave ovens and the operation of self-cleaning cycles and appliance timers and thermostats;
    • Dishwasher to determine water supply and drainage; and
    • Garbage disposer.

Heating

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When inspecting the heating system, a home inspector shall:

Inspect Heating

  • Installed heating equipment and energy sources, without determining heat supply adequacy or distribution balance, and without operating automatic safety controls or operating heat pumps when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause damage to the pumps, and excluding humidifiers, electronic air filters and solar heating systems;
  • Combustion vent systems and chimneys, excluding interiors of flues or chimneys;
  • Fuel storage tanks, excluding propane and underground storage tanks; and
  • Visible and accessible portions of the heat exchanger.

Describe Heating

  • Heating equipment and distribution type; and
  • Energy sources.

Electrical

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When inspecting the electrical system, a home inspector shall:

Inspect Electrical

  • Service entrance system;
  • Main disconnects, main panel, and sub panels, including interior components of the main panel and sub panels;
  • Service grounding;
  • Wiring, without measuring amperage, voltage or impedance, excluding any wiring not a part of the primary electrical power distribution system, such as central vacuum systems, remote control devices, telephone or cable system wiring, intercom systems, security systems, and low voltage wiring systems;
  • Over-current protection devices and the compatibility of their ampacity with that of the connected wiring;
  • At least one of each interior installed lighting fixture, switch, and receptacle per room and at least one exterior installed lighting fixture, switch, and receptacle per side of the house; and
  • Ground fault circuit interrupters.

Describe Electrical

  • Amperage and voltage rating of the service;
  • Location of the main disconnect, main panels, and sub-panels;
  • Type of over-current protection devices;
  • The predominant type of wiring;
  • Presence of knob and tube branch circuit wiring; and
  • Presence of solid conductor aluminum branch circuit wiring.

An Introduction to NJ SOP

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Standards of Practice

13:40-15.16 Standards of Practice

A direct link to the NJ Standards of Practice (SOP) is provided here for your convenience. https://www.njconsumeraffairs.gov/regulations/Chapter-40-Subchapter-15-Home-Inspection-Advisory-Committee.pdf

    a) All licensees shall comply with the standards of practice contained in this section when conducting home inspections. The scope of home inspection services performed in compliance with the requirements set forth in this section shall provide the client with objective information regarding the condition of the systems and components of the home as determined at the time of the home inspection.

    b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require a licensee to:

    1) Enter any area or perform any procedure that is, in the opinion of the home inspector, unsafe and likely to be dangerous to the inspector or other persons;

    2) Enter any area or perform any procedure that will, in the opinion of the licensee, likely damage the property or its systems or components;

    3) Enter any area which does not have at least 24 inches of unobstructed vertical clearance and at least 30 inches of unobstructed horizontal clearance;

    4) Identify concealed conditions and latent defects;

    5) Determine life expectancy of any system or component;

    6) Determine the cause of any condition or deficiency;

    7) Determine future conditions that may occur including the failure of systems and components including consequential damage;

    8) Determine the operating costs of systems or components;

    9) Determine the suitability of the property for any specialized use;

    10) Determine compliance with codes, regulations and/ or ordinances;

    11) Determine market value of the property or its marketability;

    12) Determine advisability of purchase of the property;

    13) Determine the presence of any potentially hazardous plants, animals or diseases or the presence of any suspected hazardous substances or adverse conditions such as mold, fungus, toxins, carcinogens, noise, and contaminants in soil, water, and air;

    14) Identify the presence of, or determine the effectiveness of, any system installed or method utilized to control or remove suspected hazardous substances;

    15) Operate any system or component which is shut down or otherwise inoperable;

    16) Operate any system or component which does not respond to normal operating controls;

    17) Operate shut-off valves;

    18) Determine whether water supply and waste disposal systems are public or private;

    19) Insert any tool, probe or testing device inside electrical panels;

    20) Dismantle any electrical device or control other than to remove the covers of main and sub panels;

    21) Inspect, identity, or disclose ancillary electrical devices and or/systems, such as, but not limited to, Arc Fault Circuit Interrupters (AFCIs), standby generators, and photovoltaic (solar) panels;

    22) Walk on unfloored sections of attics; and

    23) Light pilot flames or ignite or extinguish fires.

    Filed Under: SOP

    Structure

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    When conducting the inspection of the structural components, the home inspector shall:

    Inspect Structure

    • Foundation;
    • Floors;
    • Walls;
    • Ceilings; and
    • Roof;
    • Probe structural components where deterioration is suspected unless such probing would damage any finished surface.

    Describe Structure

    • Foundation construction type and material;
    • Floor construction type and material;
    • Wall construction type and material;
    • Ceiling construction type and material; and
    • Roof construction type and material;
    • Methods used to inspect under-floor crawl spaces and attics.

    Cooling

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    When inspecting the cooling system, a home inspector shall:

    Inspect Cooling System

    • Central cooling system, excluding electronic air filters and excluding determination of cooling supply adequacy or distribution balance and without operating central cooling equipment when weather conditions or other circumstances may cause damage to the cooling equipment;
    • Permanently installed hard-wired, through-wall individual cooling systems;
    • Energy sources;

    Describe Cooling System

    • Cooling equipment and distribution type; and
    • Energy sources.

    Plumbing

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    When inspecting the plumbing system, a home inspector shall:

    Inspect Plumbing

    • Interior water supply and distribution systems including functional water flow and functional drainage, excluding wells, well pumps, well water sampling or water storage related equipment, determination of water supply quantity or quality and water conditioning systems and lawn irrigation systems;
    • All interior fixtures and faucets, excluding shut off valves, wells, well pumps, well water sampling and water storage related equipment;
    • Drain, waste and vent systems;
    • Domestic water heating systems, without operating safety valves or automatic safety controls, and excluding solar water heating systems;
    • Combustion vent systems excluding interiors of flues and chimneys;
      Fuel distribution systems; and
    • Drainage sumps, sump pumps and related piping.

    Describe Plumbing

    • Predominant interior water supply and distribution piping materials;
    • Predominant drain, waste and vent piping materials; and
    • Water heating equipment including energy sources.

    Exterior

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    When inspecting the exterior components, a home inspector shall:

    Inspect Exterior

    • Exterior surfaces, excluding shutters, and screening, awnings, and other similar seasonal accessories;
    • Exterior doors excluding storm doors or safety glazing;
    • Windows excluding storm windows and safety glazing;
    • Attached or adjacent decks, balconies, stoops, steps, porches, and their railings;
    • Vegetation, grading, drainage, and retaining walls with respect to their immediate detrimental effect on the condition of the residential building, excluding fences, geological and/or soil conditions, sea walls, break-walls, bulkheads and docks, or erosion control and earth stabilization;
    • Attached or adjacent walkways, patios, and driveways; and
    • Garage doors including automatic door openers and entrapment protection mechanisms, excluding remote control devices.

    Describe Exterior

    Describe exterior wall surface type and material.